Hong Kong chef and restaurateur Danny Yip has been honored with the Icon Award – Asia 2024, a prestigious accolade recognizing his significant contributions to gastronomy and his dedication to driving positive change within the culinary world. The award, voted for by the esteemed members of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, celebrates individuals who have left an indelible mark on the global culinary scene.
Yip’s journey to culinary acclaim began with The Chairman, a Hong Kong-based restaurant that redefined Cantonese cuisine on a global scale. In 2021, The Chairman made history by becoming the first Chinese restaurant to claim the top spot on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, followed by an impressive debut in the top 10 of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants ranking. Yip’s commitment to showcasing traditional Cantonese flavors with a modern twist has garnered widespread praise, establishing The Chairman as a beacon of culinary excellence in Asia.
The Chairman Serves Classic Cantonese Dishes
Established by Yip in 2009, The Chairman is widely praised as a trailblazer in the realm of fine Chinese cuisine in Asia, consistently garnering notable recognition for its culinary excellence and tireless emphasis on reworking tradition. The restaurant, which relocated to its current address in Hong Kong’s Central neighbourhood in 2022, is a highly sought-after reservation in the city and enjoys a devoted cult following. Yip has not only pioneered the concept of urban farming for Hong Kong restaurants, but has also emerged as a staunch advocate for local artisans and producers. He stands as an inspirational figure for chefs in the region dedicated to advancing their cuisines. The Chairman highlights Yip’s unwavering commitment to using locally sourced ingredients and emphasising simplicity and freshness. This resolve extends to acquiring the freshest catch from the local markets daily via his in-house team of retired fishers and securing the finest bean curd sheets from Hong Kong institution Shu Kee. He also maintains a small, organic farm on the city’s outskirts where the team cures meat and pickles vegetables for the restaurant.
Honouring the vast possibilities within Cantonese cuisine, The Chairman features rare ingredients from Southern China such as mini freshwater crab roe, Chinese rose sugar, and nine-year-old Lanzhou lily bulbs. These help create seasonal delicacies that represent a refined rendition of home cooking while seamlessly adapting to contemporary palates. This philosophy can be essayed via the restaurant’s signature dish – steamed fresh flowery crab with aged Shaoxing wine, fragrant chicken oil and flat rice noodles – which embodies Yip’s ideology of ‘less is more’.
With a career that spans more than 30 years, Yip’s culinary trajectory includes a prosperous decade managing six acclaimed restaurants in Canberra, Australia; these included China Tea Club and Madam Yip. He moved back to Hong Kong in 1997 and diversified by establishing a successful online trading platform start-up, but continued to dabble in food by writing articles for magazines and authoring two books. After a decade in technology, he returned to his true calling by setting up The Chairman—where he continues to refine his craft to this very day.
William Drew, Director of Content for Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, says: “Danny stands as a breath of fresh air in his commitment to his craft, in valuing tradition at the same time as embracing innovation. Leading The Chairman for the past 14 years, he and his team deliver the epitome of authentic Cantonese cuisine. It’s an iconic establishment and Danny is a true icon of his industry.” Upon winning the award, Yip says: “I am extremely fortunate to have an exceptional and stable team, both in the kitchen and at the front. The majority of them have been with us since we opened or for more than 10 years. Alone I can do so little, together we can do so much. This award is a tremendous honour, not just for me but also for The Chairman team. It serves as a motivator, consistently reminding us of the greater heights we can reach in the days ahead.”
As the recipient of the Icon Award, the restaurateur joins a list of culinary icons that include sustainability champion Shinobu Namae (2023), South Korean monk Jeong Kwan (2022), legendary Bangkok chef Supinya ‘Jay Fai’ Junsuta (2021) as well as Japanese pioneers Seiji Yamamoto (2019) and Yoshihiro Murata (2020).
The Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 awards, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, will be held live in Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, Seoul, South Korea on 26 March 2024. This marks the first time the event will be held in the Korean capital and will comprise an extensive programme in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
The Chairman
3rd Floor, The Wellington, 198 Wellington St, Central, Hong Kong
Chef Syamsul Rizal">
